Safety attachment for wringers



Dec. 3, 1929. w. E. GILDEA SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WRINGERS Filed Aug. 11, 1928 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. GILDEA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WRINGERS Application filed August 11, 1928. Serial No. 239,006.

My invention relates to wringers of the conventional type, and my main object is to provide such wringers with an attachment for the safety of the fingers when feeding clothes into the wringer.

Afurther object of the invention is to embody in the novel attachment a special roll applicable frontally of the wringer rolls and serving as an introductory feeding element as well as a safety bar.

A still further object of the invention is to design the novel attachment readily yieldable for the release of the fingers or other objects which may become caught between the 5 special roll and the wringer rolls.

Another object of the invention is to embody in the same a construction which makes it applicable to the average wringer without radical alteration or expense.

A final, but nevertheless important object of the invention is to build the novel attachment with few and simple parts whereby it may be produced and sold at a low figure.

W'ith the above objects in view and any K others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical wringer, showing the novel attachment applied;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing one end portion of the attachment; and

Fig. 1 is a sectional detail, taken vertically on the line %4l of Fig. 3.

It is a familiar fact that the fingers feeding clothes into a wringer are often in danger of becoming caught between the rolls and pinched when extreme care is not used or when the attendant is in haste. In the case of hand-operated wringers, the hand exercising the crank handle usually stops the wringer in time to prevent serious injury to the fingers in case they are caught. However, in the case of power wringer-s, such as are carried by washing machines, the control of the wringer is not always accessible or so readily reached and made effective, making the accident a more serious one. I have analyzed attempts of the past to make wringers safe in this respect, but find that whatever structures have been evolved that have come to my knowledge seem either impractical to attain the object or too clumsy and expensive to permit of application under conditions of the present time. It has therefore been my intention to supply a device for this purpose which is not only entirely safe in use but also embodies simplicity, ease of application and low cost in production.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 5 denotes the base. 6 the top, 7 the end posts, 8 the upper roll, 9 the lower roll and 10 the crank handle of a typical household wringer. For the purpose of my invention, the wringer may either he hand-operated as indicated, or may be power driven as in the case of a wash ing machine, as my invention has no direct connection with the driving means.

In carrying out the invention, I apply a special roll 11 frontally of the wringer rolls 8 and 9. This roll may be of wood, hard rubher or any other substance which is firm yet inexpensive. The roll 11 has a spindle 11, which is rotatably mounted in end-bearing cups 12, and the latter are clamped between the jaws 13 of vertical brackets 14. rising from a shaft 15 located below the roll 11. The brackets 14 are also made with lower jaws 16 to engage the shaft 15, a bolt 17 and securing nut 18 serving to clamp together the sections of the bracket whereby to securely hold the cups 12 and shafts 15 within the respective jaw sets 13 and 16.

The shaft 15 extends beyond the jaws 16 at each end, entering bearings 17" formed from vertical plates 19 which are applicable to the frontal faces of the end posts 7 of the wringer by means of screws 20. The shaft 15 is rockably disposed in the bearings 17*, and the frontal aws 16 carry laterally projecting fingers 21 which abut the lower portions of the plates 19 when the shaft 15 reaches a predetermined limit as the roll 11 is swung outwardly.

The roll 11 is mounted at a height to make longitudinal contact with the upper wringer roll 8, but is slightly spaced from the lower wringer roll 9 as i is clearly indicated in Figure 2. The roll is pressed into the contact referred to by a coiled spring 22, mounted on one end of the shaft 15 and having its ends secured respectively by one of the screws 20 on the inside, and in an end slot 23 on the outside, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The tension of the spring is to hold the roll 11 firmly against the roll 8, but this tension is limited to an extent where ones fingers can readily draw on the roll to swing it away, or so that the roll 11 will readily yield in case the fingers or other articles are inserted between it and the roll 8.

In operation, the clothes are fed over the special roll 11 and drawn between the rolls 8 and 9. It will not be necessary for the attendant to attempt to feed the clothes locally between the rolls 8 and 9, as once an article is fed over the roll 11 and fills the space in front of the junction of the rolls 8 and 9, the tendency will be for these rolls to draw the article in the usual manner. As concernsthe operators fingers, no harm is done as they enter between the roll 11 and. the roll 8, as the roll 11 will readily yield as explained before. When this point is con sidered, it must be realized that the fingers entering between the roll 11 and the roll 8 extend in a more or less vertical position. Therefore, should the fingers accidentally be advanced to a deep extent, their position will prevent the roll 8 and roll 9 from drawing them in to be pinched. It would be necessary for the fingers to approach a more or less horizontal position in the space between the rollers 8 and 9 before these would engage the fingers to draw them in. Obviously, such a position would be unnatural when the shape of the hand is considered as it feeds the clothes, the hand is then half closed and wit-h the fore parts of the fingers decidedly with a wrapping tendency upon the roll 11 rather than with a tendency to depart there from in the direction of the junction of the rolls 8 and 9.

It will thus be seen that my invention is designed in keeping with the natural movement of the hand during the feeding act-ion, removing this action from the area of danger to a remote area, where one of the rolls is yieldableand actually separable to a wide extent for the removal of the hand or articles tending to clog the rolls. In case the tension of the spring 22 is to be varied, it is only necessary to free the rod 15 by loosening the screws 17 of the clamps and apply a screw driver to the slot 23 to turn the rod and wind or unwind the spring 22 to the desired extent, the clamp screws being then tightened to fix the adjustment.

The end-disposal of the roll 11 is unique in that the clamps only act as supports. The bearing cups 12 can thus be shifted laterallyin the clamp jaws 13 and secured when in proper end-relation with the spindle 11. The bottoms of the cups are perforated as indicated at 12, to receive a lubricant.

In conclusion, it may be said that the structure is of exceeding simplicity, using few and sturdy parts to support and make possible the movement of the roll 11. Further, the device is easily applicable to any wringer having the conventional end posts 7, making it an easy matter to apply my invention as an attachment for wringers already in use or about to be purchased. Of course, with proper design my invention may be built into a wringer at the factory, if a special safety model of the wringer is to be featured.

l/Vhile I have illustrated and described the invention in the preferred form, it will be evident that the same is capable of many minor changes and refinements and I desire to include such changes and refinements as coming within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety device for household wringers comprising a roll set opposite the bite of the wringer rolls, bearings disposing said roll for free rotation, a rock shaft pivoted at a point below the bite of the wringer rolls, supports for the bearings carried radially of the rock shaft, journals for the rock shaft mounted on the wringer frame, and a coiled spring connecting the rock shaft to the wringer frame.

2. A safety device for household wringers comprising a roll set opposite the bite of the wringer rolls, bearings disposing said roll for free rotation, a rock shaft pivoted at a point below the bite of the wringer rolls, sets of opposed jaws clamping the latter and the bearings in spaced rotation, screws uniting each pair of jaws, and means effective to urge the roll toward the wringer rolls.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VJILLIAM E. GILDEA. 

